Hello friends --I'm climbing out of the combo flare (flair?)/COVID hell that I've been dealing with - slowly but surely. I'd like to stop coughing now please?? I have gifts to buy, cookies to make and family to spoil.  I think by next week I'll be 100%  Here's hoping. I sure hope y'all are doing well.  I shared that I was way behind on my 12th annual FUMS Holiday Gift Guide t - and that I was doing something different this year. It's an Amazon storefront with categories and products recommended by me and members of the FUMS family (like YOU - thank you for the suggestions) - and I keep adding new things in almost daily. Check it out: FUMS Amazon ShopLet's get to the good stuff - shall we??1.  Hmmmm - this is interesting - and rings true for me - how about YOU?? People who are eventually identified as having MS are more likely to have conditions like depression, constipation, sexual issues, and urinary tract infections (UTIs) five years before their diagnosis compared with people who don’t get MS, according to a new study published December 5 in Neurology.   Depression, UTIs, and Constipation Are More Common in People Who Are Later Diagnosed With MS2. Think of the possibilities if there was a mechanism to know about MS worsening - before it happened. 😳 New research published in JAMA Neurology shows that a specific blood test can predict disease worsening about 12 months in advance of clinical evidence of the same (and up to two years in some people). Now that's exciting!!  What if a Blood Test Could Predict MS Worsening?3.  Ohhh - interesting. Foralumab is a human antibody-based therapy designed to reduce brain and spinal cord inflammation associated with MS and other neurodegenerative diseases. It works by blocking the CD3 receptor at the surface of immune T-cells, inhibiting these cells’ activity and reducing inflammation, while boosting the activity of regulatory T-cells that prevent excessive immune reactions. According to the company doing the research, Tiziana Life Sciences, nasal delivery — using a spray — can potentially improve the treatment’s safety, tolerability, and efficacy compared with intravenous or into-the-vein infusions. I'd FAR prefer that delivery method. How about YOU?? 4 new SPMS patients dosed with nasal foralumab outside of trials4.  "This study included elderly patients with MS (>50 years old). We compared the occurrence of relapses, worsening of disability, and conversion to secondary progressive MS (SPMS) between patients with DMD treatment and those without." Ummmmm - 50 IS NOT ELDERLY.  😡 That reminds me of when I was pregnant at 36 and the OB/GYN referred to it as a "geriatric pregnancy." WTF???? Also 😡.  Ok, well, this is an interesting study but - can we please do something about the ageist verbiage????  Disease Activity and Progression of Disability in Multiple Sclerosis Patients Aged Over 50 With or Without Disease-Modifying Drug Treatment: A Retrospective Cohort Study5.  I view this as both good and bad news: good news because we have agency in this disease. A non-invasive way to address MS. Bad news because it's an ass-kicking workout that makes me tired to just read about!  🤪  "Adhering to an aerobic exercise program of moderate to intense cycling for 12 weeks significantly eased pain and fatigue in people with MS, allowing them to be more active in daily life, a small pilot clinical trial found."  Aerobic cycling eases fatigue and pain of MS, if intensity kept up6.  Fire up your diffuser!!!  Treatment with essential oils derived from green tea or pumpkin reduced brain damage in a rat model of MS, a new study reports.  The oils also helped to restore the abnormal levels of neurotransmitters — chemical messengers that nerve cells use to communicate — and reduce markers of inflammation, cell death, and a type of cellular damage called oxidative stress.  Essential oils from pumpkins, green tea reduce brain damage in MS ratsLooking for some great FUMS merch for your gift/wish list??? Here you go:  Warmly -- Kathy#FUMS

Sometimes it helps the stress, just to say "F-U-M-S"